Shelf life.....

[bbrown]

Newbee here...


I have a pkg. of The Boots Company Nottingham England Cleanser and Steriliser Powder (Contents as follows: "Contains less than 5% anionic surfactants, 15-30% Chlorine based bleaching agents, more than 30% phosphates").


Anyone know about this stuff and should I be using it? If yes, then can you tell me the shelf life on it after mixing and jugging?


Second: What is the mixed/jugged shelf life of One Step?


Thanks.....

 

[grapeman]

I would not use this for winemaking. It contains chlorine and that can lead to TCA or cork taint. One step works alright for cleaning, but isn't considered a true sanitizer. Just get some good old cheap potassium metabisulfite. You can mix it up at two tablespoons per gallon and it keeps a long time in a gallon glass jug.

 

[Goodfella]

I agree with Appleman

 

[ibglowin]

While on this subject, is it OK to use C-Brite to clean out carboys or primaries?

Any rules on the use of B-brite?

 

[PeterZ]

B-brite and C-brite are OK for tough cleaning jobs, but rinse well with water and then give the items a final rinse with a K-meta solution (I use 3 TB/gal). B- and C-brite are oxidizers and will have the same effect on wine as exposure to air, but stronger and faster. The K-meta solution will neutralize them.


I avoid the need for cleaners like that by cleaning everything immediately after use with hot water. Then a rinse with K-meta solution and they are good to go.

 

[ibglowin]

I have been doing pretty much the same, rinsing well and then wiping down. I will have to do a big batch of recycled bottles soon and am looking for the best cleaning agent. I am leaning towards bleach and water followed by water rinse followed by K-Meta of course.

 

[hannabarn]

I wash all my recycled bottles in Oxy-Clean and rinse well and store upside down. Then I rinse again and treat with K-Meta when I bottle!

 

[ibglowin]

I read that Oxy-Clean left a white residue on the bottles?

 

[Runningwolf]

I use the jet wand to fill all my bottles with hot water than put at least three big scoops of oxy clean in the sink than fill with hot water to 2 inches above the labels. I can do 24 bottles in the laundry sink. I wait about 30-45 minutes than most af the labels come off pretty easy with a razor blade. Some will be floating and a few are still tough. I than empty the water out of the bottle and rinse the outside of the bottle in cold water. I do not let any of the oxy clean inside of the bottle and rinsing the outside and wiping with your hand does the trick of keeping the white film off. Than I give them a sani rinse and put on the bottle trees till I need them. I sanitize one more time a few hours before I am ready to bottle. I lucked out and picked up 40 cases of used bottles from the same winery and this method works real well on their bottles.

 

[vcasey]

I read that Oxy-Clean left a white residue on the bottles?

If you let it sit you will get the residue, or at least we do. CLR will take care of it and clean off any glue leftover.
VC

 

[hannabarn]

I guess it will if you use too much. Oxy-Clean is quite foamy in hot soft water so it doesn't take much. I have never had a problem with any residue on the bottles. I think soft water might be the difference. Our water in this area is naturally soft. I sometimes let the bottles soak for 24 hours to remove labels and still haven't had a residue problem.

 

[Runningwolf]

I found leaving the bottles in the water after it cools down the glue gets hard again and its harder to get them off, But I never left them in over night. I will have to try that some time with a few bottles. Also every winery uses a different process or glue as you know some float off and other ones are a bear to get off no matter what you do. Then I have to resort to a stronger glue remover. This is why I was so happy to get so many bottles from one winery and figured out a process that works with those bottles.

 

[bbrown]

Hey, thanks troops! I have thrown away the Boot's cleaner. I will be using One-Step and Potassium Metabisulfite from this day forward.


As for the labels removal, I have been soaking overnight using liquid detergent and water, then scrapeing them off with a kitchen scraper. Works pretty good on most butthere are adhesives and then there are adhesives. A few take more lbow grease than others.


Thanks again....

 

[Jack on Rainy]

bbrown,
I use glue gone on the really tough label adhesive, then wash that off and rinse. Otherwise I'm similar to Hannabarn.

 

[ibglowin]

I just had THE toughest label to remove. I usually use the hot water and kitchen (razor) scraper which gets most if not all off followed by a paper towel with a squirt of charcoal starter (which works great BTW).

I had this one really nice (HEAVY) Cabernet bottle covered (all the way around no less) with label. My normal routine removed all the paper but left a fine thin mess of adhesive.

I tried everything. Goo Gone (gell), Acetone, it just laughed at me each time. Finally pulled out some laboratory grade (200 proof) Ethanol (same as Everclear but you can't drink it) and had to attack it 2-3 more times with a new soaked paper towel and it finally pulled it all off. Its now spotless but boy what a challenge. So glad most of them are easy otherwise this recycling thing might not be worth it!

 

[Bert]

There are some bad ones out there....some I just throw away, unless I really really want them..

...I get after them....remember we are to have fun with this too...

 

[Dean]

Was this an Australian brand? I find the aussie labels the worst for glue! After that, some American Napa wines have difficult labels. French and Italian labels usually just fall off.

 

[joeswine]

I let mine soak for a two week period in a15 gallon hard ribber container,in a solution of water,shot of bleach and kmet,24 bottles at a time,when the mood hits me I go down to the MAN CAVE ,turn on the toons and with plastic scraper in hand attack the villains with gusto,some by that time have lifted themselves of the bottles and the balance remains to be addressed,anything to Lengthy or requiring to much work is discarded,usually only put 1to2 hrs at a time into this effort,not to create distant for label removal,I tell you this for I have about 100 cases or so of bottles atpresent andknow stress